1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adapters for use with electric power tools that are powered by battery packs attached thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
One known device optionally attachable to an electric power tool is a light mounted thereon that can be turned on to illuminate the tip of the tool bit or where the work is being performed. One of the problems of this arrangement is the extra weight that the lighting device adds to the power tool. Another problem is that the light tends to constitute an obstruction to the user at times when no lighting is needed. Japan Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 10-44064 discloses an invention that attempts to address these problems. According to this invention, a lighting unit is removably attached to a battery pack such that the unit can be removed by the user when there is sufficient light where work is done or otherwise when no such illumination is required.
While the foregoing arrangement achieves its intended objective, it suffers from a number of deficiencies that reduce its utility. For example, as the location where the lighting unit is attached to the battery pack differs from that where the battery pack is attached to an electric power tool, the pack needs to be provided with a separate structure for mounting the lighting unit. Not only does such an additional structure increase the overall cost of the battery pack, but it also creates the risk of shorting in the battery pack circuitry, since the terminals at the location where the additional structure is attached are exposed when the lighting unit is not attached to the battery pack. Furthermore, the exposed circuitry may also be damaged during the operation of the battery unit or even during storage when the lighting unit is not attached thereto.
In view of the above-identified problems, an important object of the present invention is to provide an adapter for use with an electric power tool that easily provides the tool with additional functionality, including but not limited to lighting or dust collection, without creating the risk of a short circuit when the adapter is not attached or without increasing the manufacturing cost.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an adapter for use with an electric power tool that easily provides the tool with non-electrical functionality, such as a tool hooking function that allows the user to hang the tool on one""s person or a structure.
To achieve these objectives, the present invention provides an adapter for an electric power tool on which a battery pack is mounted to supply power thereto. The adapter comprises a main body that includes top and bottom surfaces and that has an additional device for use with the electric power tool and a first coupling portion which is provided on the top surface of the main body and which has a configuration identical to a coupling portion of the battery pack that is to be attached to the electric power tool. The adapter additionally comprises a second coupling portion which is provided on the bottom surface of the main body and which has a configuration identical to a coupling portion of the electric power tool that is attached to the battery pack. According to this arrangement, no change in the designs of either the battery pack or the electric power tool is necessary, and thus no additional cost is required. Moreover, as no terminals are exposed when the adapter is attached, short circuits between the terminals are prevented and the terminals are protected from any damage.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the additional device comprises a light that operates by receiving power from the battery pack. According to this arrangement, a lighting function can be easily and readily added to the electric power tool.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the additional device comprises a light that can be oriented to a desired direction.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the additional device comprises a light that operates by receiving power from the battery pack and that can be oriented to a desired direction.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the additional device further comprises a flexible stem having a free end coupled to the light and a fixed end coupled to the main body of the adapter, such that the position of the light can be manually adjusted.
According to one feature of the present invention, the main body includes: two pairs of opposing side surfaces connecting the top surface and the bottom surface; a groove formed in three of the side surfaces for at least partially accommodating the flexible stem therealong; and holder means for securing the flexible stem close to the free end of the flexible stem when the stem is accommodated in the groove.
According to another feature of the present invention, the groove has a first end at the fixed end of the flexible stem and a second end adjacent to a point at which the free end of the flexible stem is located when the stem is accommodated in the groove.
According to still another feature of the present invention, the adapter further comprises circuitry for placing the light in parallel with the electric power tool so as to permit the light to be turned on and off independently from the tool when the adapter is connected to the electric power tool and the battery pack.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, the adapter further comprises circuitry that gangs together the light and the electric power tool so as to synchronize the operation of the light to that of the tool when the adapter is connected to the electric power tool and the battery pack.
According to one practice of the present invention, the additional device comprises a motor that has an output shaft and operates by receiving power from the battery pack and a fan fixed on the output shaft of the motor; a dust chamber that is defined within the main body and accommodates the fan, with the dust chamber having an intake side and an exhaust side. The device further comprises a suction nozzle connected to the intake side of the dust chamber and an outlet pipe connected to the exhaust side of the dust chamber. This arrangement permits easily addition of a cleaner function to the electric power tool.
According to another practice of the present invention, the suction nozzle and the outlet pipe are disposed on opposing sides of the dust chamber, thus interposing the dust chamber therebetween.
According to still another practice of the present invention, the suction nozzle is connected to the dust chamber via a flexible stem.
According to yet another practice of the present invention, the adapter further includes circuitry for placing the motor in parallel with the electric power tool so as to permit the motor to be turned on and off independently from the tool when the adapter is connected to the tool and the battery pack.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the adapter further includes circuitry that gangs together the motor and the electric power tool so as to synchronize the operation of the motor to that of the tool when the adapter is connected to the tool and the battery pack.
In one embodiment, the additional device comprises a hook secured to the main body for hanging the adapter. This arrangement readily renders the electric power tool portable on one""s person; alternatively, it permits the tool to be hung on a structure, such as a peg on the wall.
In one practice, the additional device comprises a hook secured to the main body for hanging the adapter.
To carry out the invention in one preferred mode, the first coupling portion is complementarily shaped to the second coupling portion. Furthermore, the electric power tool may include a second coupling portion at its bottom surface and the battery pack may include a first coupling portion at its top surface, thus allowing attachment of the adapter to the tool and attachment of the battery pack to the adapter.
Other general and more specific objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be evident from the drawings and descriptions which follow.